do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

i decided to replace the starter solenoid several weeks ago in my 1941 deluxe because i thought it might be causing some starting issues (not the case actually), but last night my starter motor continued to run after the engine started...quite alarming!! i eventually had to pull the wires off the battery in order to get it to stop.

so today i bought another brand new solenoid from NAPA, but now, pressing the start button renders nothing but silence. however, jumping 6v from the little post in the front of the solenoid while grounding the case does activate the electromagnet, with a click, and then i'll get continuity across the big terminals on either side. and that leads me to believe that it is working properly.

further research and my newly acquired plastic 1941 electrical schematic have me wondering if i need a special late 30's to '41 solenoid to make this work right again.

what say ye?

i think i still have the old one that came with the car so could use that one in a pinch.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

The original solenoid was activated by the start button grounding the small terminal.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

I guess my question would be did NAPA give you the right solenoid?, at my local store one guy there knows flatheads, so I wait until he’s not busy and have him get me parts.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

There is nothing special about your solenoid. It is the same as all solenoids after their introduction in 1937…as long as it is for a 6v positive ground. Originally, it had a single post which was a ground from the starter button.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

yes, that's my understanding too.

i now own three starter solenoids for this car.

SLND1: the one that came with the car and that i have no real reason to think it does not work

SLND2: one i bought a month ago from Dennis Carpenter website, thinking that SLND1 might have been compromised. it, SLND2, has been confirmed to be fried, and most likely the culprit that was causing the run-on starter issue last night. boo!

and SLND3: the one i bought today from NAPA

so tomorrow i'll go over SLND1 and SLND3 with my multimeter to determine if they work the same and then choose which one to use. and i will test for continuity of the wire that runs to the starter button, as it may not be grounding properly or there could be a problem with the button itself, and assuming the worst (not an unwarranted assumption considering the wiring nightmare this car has proven to be) it may be both. *sigh*

and BTW, i don't know if NAPA sold me the proper solenoid today. i have to admit i found it somewhat overpriced considering the one from Dennis Carpenter was only $30 and the one today cost me about $80. hmmmmm.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

ahhh! that's good to know, i'd hate to think i needed a fourth. :) and yes, they all have three terminals, two big ones and a small one in the middle.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

Use caution when tightening the nuts on the cables. I have had reproduction solenoids that would allow the terminal bolt to rotate in the housing which will cause the bolt head to touch the contact disc.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

wouldn't surprise me in the least. smh.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

There are 9 different solenoid wiring configurations. I think the one you need is Napa ST53, figure 2 in the diagrams.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

ST 53 is the correct NAPA solenoid.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

I bought a script replacement solenoid from Dennis Carpenter for my ‘53 a couple years ago and it was inoperable. I bought whatever NAPA said would be right for my car and it works great. Sent Carpenter an email that it was bad, and never heard from them.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

Back in the 80’s and 90’s, when restorations were the thing to do, I made all of the tooling to take apart, re-plate and even rewind the coil (if necessary) to rebuild original solenoids. I still have several and still have all my research if you would like for me to look one up for you. Email me at [email protected]

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

SS-558 is a replacement for your starter solenoid.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

your suspicion was well founded. they didn't sell me the right one. when testing it today with my multimeter, after having removed it from the car, there was no continuity between the large connector that runs directly to the battery to the small terminal in the middle. and there is supposed to be continuity there!! sooooo....

i took it back and when i showed them evidence that it was not the right one (the most compelling was that it was stamped with "12v" on the case) the came up with a real ford 6v starter solenoid that worked!

and i got a $45 dollar refund due to the difference in price. yeah!

and yes, Bob C and 1942deluxe, the right one is the ST53.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

Huey, I sent you a PM about starter solenoids.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

yep, got t!

i think i'm set for now, thanks.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

I would make sure if your car is still 6V "positive ground" that they are selling you a positive ground solenoid.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

I remember when I was quite young I had a tractor that was positive ground. I wanted to change it to 12 negative ground. I asked an old mechanic if I could run a starter that was used on positive ground on a negative ground system. He scoffed at me and said, "You surely don't think that the starter knows the difference between positive ground and negative ground, do you?" In fact it was a 6 volt starter and it worked great for 32 years when I sold it.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

Starter solenoids do not care if your system is Pos or Neg ground, they will work either way. They do care weather your vehicle is 6volt or 12volt system and should be marked on the case which voltage. Regards, Kevin.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

in general older cars electrical systems aren't polarity sensitive AFAIK, but some of the gauges may be. most often it's the voltage gauge or ammeter.

WRT the starter solenoid...i doubt whether the circuit that runs from the one big terminal to the other for the starter motor to work would be a problem, but the small, low voltage circuit that activates the electromagnet could be, as the windings on an electromagnet are wound in such a direction as to comply with the polarity of the electrical system in which it resides...i think.

but, superficially and part-number-wise, it looks like the black ford solenoids from the 30's and most of the 40's, and it's an ST53 and so i think that that's probably proof enough for now.

i've still to track down a few gremlins in the dash wiring. the starter button is acting up (i think it's a bad ground) and i've had the hot wire from the ignition switch to the fuel gauge smoke a couple of times, and fried the point that i've had to make a new one. i think that THAT is being caused by a loose bare wire that goes i know not where. and is being inadvertently grounded by me when rooting around behind the gauges from time to time. anyway, there's more work to do. ugh.

but you're right i could have got burned again with the wrong part...we'll see. thanks.

Re: do i need a special starter solenoid for my 1941 deluxe?
 

Get a small hammer to whack the solenoid if it sticks